tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post4084556288352035460..comments2024-03-28T14:52:13.218-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: First Impression (update)Jim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-39091163573090924542009-01-21T16:56:00.000-06:002009-01-21T16:56:00.000-06:00What Nathan and Eric said. And as you know well, S...What Nathan and Eric said. <BR/><BR/>And as you know well, Sheila, I'm hoping that Obama will lead by example. We've had too many years of valuing not measuring up to the better Angels of Our nature. Many will continue to seek comforts in the easy life (and here I'm differentiating between the occasional imbiber and the hard-core distraction/check-out seeker).<BR/><BR/>I do think there's enough of us to make a difference. Patrick Nielson Hayden made the comment about why he supported Obama is because he gave people hope. That hope has shown signs of translating into work to help others. <BR/><BR/>I think his speech, the talking to us like we're adults, will help. There will always be those who will self-medicate, but I think with Obama those of us who felt marginalized and unwelcome are back at the table ready to help.Steve Buchheithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12999709767641212586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-26747960830345835792009-01-20T23:37:00.000-06:002009-01-20T23:37:00.000-06:00Sheila - do you ever wonder why they feel such a n...Sheila - do you ever wonder <I>why</I> they feel such a need to self-medicate themselves into oblivion like that?<BR/><BR/>I'm hoping Obama will fix some of the underlying causes so that they won't need to do that so much anymore, and will therefore be free to contribute meaningfully.MWThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09446603415730525882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-91005778685786953382009-01-20T23:14:00.000-06:002009-01-20T23:14:00.000-06:00I agree entirely that it was an inspiring speech. ...I agree entirely that it was an inspiring speech. However, who are the people that Obama is trying to inspire?<BR/><BR/>I do like how our new president has used technology (Facebook, etc.) to reach young people, and I hope that he will continue to use it to perhaps inspire the younger folks to purposeful action.<BR/><BR/>However, part of me despairs. This is a nation filled with addicts and greedy people. Every time I pass a bar parking lot filled with vehicles, I think about what useful things people could have spent their time and money doing, if they weren't busy drinking and pissing away their pay packets as a form of self-medication.<BR/><BR/>And it's not just alcohol, it's also addictions to food, smoking, drugs (not just illegal ones but legal drugs as well), video games, pursuit of money without caring about consequences, pornography, and so many other "bad habits" that help people lose their health, time, money, and awareness of the real problems of society (Marx would add religion, but at least there are some religious people who do good works) and cause the terrible waste of resources -- think of the sheer costs of rehab, car accidents, health care, the judicial and prison systems, etc. -- that could have been used for infrastructure, energy security, universal health care, and all the other pressing needs of our society.<BR/><BR/>The Americans of today are, for the most part, not the articulate, tough, thoughtful people that fought the Civil War or came through the Great Depression or won a victory in World War II. They are for the most part less educated, less resourceful, and less capable. Many who are more educated and resourceful are in it for themselves and care not for their fellow man or for the remaking of the nation.<BR/><BR/>The real question in my mind is whether there will be enough of the right kind of people to make this nation work despite the presence and negative contributions of an overwhelming number of the wrong kind of people -- regardless of what policies and investments the Obama administration chooses to pursue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-35440646702131042852009-01-20T23:12:00.000-06:002009-01-20T23:12:00.000-06:00So now that the ball is placed in our court what s...So now that the ball is placed in our court what shall we do. As responsible Americans it is our duty to take this speech and run with it. To make the stated sacrifices for them in the tradition of those who did for us. If toiling and sweating to achieve the greatness we seek to recover then count me in. If I and others of like mind are willing to take up the yoke then let us get to it. We cannot afford to wait for another disaster, man made or natural, to bring us together. It is also beholden on us to make our choices known to our chosen leaders through whatever means possible to make choices that are not politically motivated but are for the greater good. Check the line by line of the stimulus packages and not the doe going to the PGA and tell me that is responsible. Still got a long road ahead of us.Beastlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05734235111057536747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-62602250673876822912009-01-20T22:16:00.000-06:002009-01-20T22:16:00.000-06:00I agree - it was a fabulous and inspiring speech -...I agree - it was a fabulous and inspiring speech - I just watched it on demand.<BR/><BR/>Re: to the rest of the comments here, I started to respond here - then decided to write a blog post myself on the subject this afternoon.<BR/><BR/>As you've probably come to expect from me, it's not one of support & agreement. :/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-90639301602622934092009-01-20T21:08:00.000-06:002009-01-20T21:08:00.000-06:00... and for the first time in eight years, I am en...... and for the first time in eight years, I am entirely unafraid to express my honest opinion of Bush & Co on the internet. WOOT!Aimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999989380011744372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-49703305403419924582009-01-20T21:07:00.000-06:002009-01-20T21:07:00.000-06:00I spent the morning watching the inauguration from...I spent the morning watching the inauguration from a conference room of a large nationally-known company on the west coast. All of the large meeting spaces had it streaming. <BR/><BR/>I am another who agrees it would have been fun to see him turn and kick GWB in the ding-ding, or have him arrested. However, our new President is not a five-year-old at heart like I am. :)<BR/><BR/>What got to me was, like many of you mentioned, seeing the cutaway to GWB's face. One of the 500 people in the conference room I was in said "He's trying to figure out what all the big words mean!"<BR/><BR/>I believe they weren't incorrect. I also feel that he knew he'd somehow been dissed, but couldn't quite figure out how. It was a heartwarming moment. <BR/><BR/>I also do not believe Cheney was lifting boxes. Seriously, the VP? What boxes on earth would he be lifting? (Unless they're the missing emails...) I have believed for quite some time that he is a very ill man, and that they've been covering it up. How often do you see him in public anymore? I think he's not long for this world. And he's gonna have a helluva lot of explaining to do if there is an afterlife.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps someday we will have the pleasure of seeing Bush and Cheney led away in handcuffs as the war criminals we all know them to be.Aimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10999989380011744372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-88344667727949752282009-01-20T17:39:00.000-06:002009-01-20T17:39:00.000-06:00Well said, as usual.Well said, as usual.Dicing with Dragonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03132972790091524968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-76123695911303836742009-01-20T15:40:00.000-06:002009-01-20T15:40:00.000-06:00Mine! Mine!Damnit, Nathan, now you've ruined tomor...Mine! Mine!<BR/><BR/>Damnit, Nathan, now you've ruined tomorrow's "one final sarcastic shot at Bush and Co" post.<BR/><BR/>Mine! Mine!Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-69351420547137796622009-01-20T15:38:00.000-06:002009-01-20T15:38:00.000-06:00EVERY time I see that man I think of The Penguin.S...EVERY time I see that man I think of The Penguin.<BR/><BR/>S.A.I.C. made me think of <A HREF="http://www.saic.com" REL="nofollow">SAIC</A>, which is not totally inappropriate.Taniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18142380580388373496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-87592764757834436742009-01-20T15:36:00.000-06:002009-01-20T15:36:00.000-06:00The true story of Cheney hurting his back is that ...The true story of Cheney hurting his back is that he grabbed hold of the bannister and three Secret Service Agents had to drag him out of the house this morning.<BR/><BR/>"Mine, Mine", he screamed (imitating the Penguin.)<BR/><BR/>"There, there, sir", replied his S.A.I.C., "we'll take you somewhere nice.<BR/><BR/>"Arrggggghhhhhhh"Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648438549121320566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-23387863703789208602009-01-20T15:32:00.000-06:002009-01-20T15:32:00.000-06:00Michelle, I agree with you in principle. I, howeve...Michelle, I agree with you in principle. I, however, would probably have not been able to resist the urge to lower my right hand at the end of the oath, make an about face, and kick GWB right square in the nuts. Screw the dignity of the office.<BR/><BR/>But then, that's why Obama is president and I'm not. :)Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-25574968274456727442009-01-20T15:27:00.000-06:002009-01-20T15:27:00.000-06:00So, although I think Bush is the dog poo on the bo...So, although I think Bush is the dog poo on the bottom of my shoe, I think that Obama and the Congress are correct just to let Bush go, for the same reason that Ford pardoned Nixon.<BR/><BR/>Our work here is to go forward, and we cannot do that if we are prosecuting Bush and Cheney.<BR/><BR/>Yes, it might make some of us feel better, however it would destroy the feeling of non-partisanship Obama has worked to achieve, and it would distract from the hard work we need to do to make things better by focusing upon the past instead of the future.Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-75353443210018890362009-01-20T14:53:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:53:00.000-06:00No, you're not mistaken. That IS what he said, an...No, you're not mistaken. That IS what he said, and he did a lovely job of it. I just wish he'd been a little more direct in his language for the folks in the audience who may have missed out on the nuances. <BR/><BR/>Folks such as George W. Bush. It was fun watching his face during the speech. I could almost hear his thoughts "I know he's insulting me. I know there's an insult in there somewhere. Now what did he say? Hmm...maybe I can have Laura explain it to me later." You could see where he got it and where he just had no clue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-11109061486234362132009-01-20T14:48:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:48:00.000-06:00Ditto Nathan and everyone else. Including Jim's o...Ditto Nathan and everyone else. Including Jim's observance that Bush should've been arrested. I think leading Bush and Cheney away in handcuffs would have been the perfect end to Obama's speech. But I'm petty like that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-33271027606791892162009-01-20T14:30:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:30:00.000-06:00Another "What Nathan Said" and add on to it the fo...Another "What Nathan Said" and add on to it <I>the force of our example</I>.<BR/><BR/>We used to care about setting an example and being better than other countries and above certain heinous acts. Maybe we will be again. Oh, I hope so...Taniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18142380580388373496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-53649719301526445702009-01-20T14:27:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:27:00.000-06:00Fuck you, CrackerIf I'm not mistaken, Amyzon, that...<I>Fuck you, Cracker</I><BR/><BR/>If I'm not mistaken, Amyzon, that's exactly what he said to GWB and the Neocons - he was just more polite about it than I would have been.<BR/><BR/>Also, I would have ended the speech with "Arrest that man!" and pointed to Bush. <BR/><BR/>But, hey, that's me.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-53714716496374750812009-01-20T14:22:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:22:00.000-06:00I almost cried during the speech. It was so lovel...I almost cried during the speech. It was so lovely. It was everything I hoped it would be. Obama and his family have class. This whole transition has been done with amazing grace and humility. <BR/><BR/>I couldn't get my two stepsons to watch it. They went to play video games after I told them I would NOT change the channel to Cartoon Network. They have no concept of history. My five-month-old son Jack was happy to watch it with me. I looked at him several times and marveled at the major changes that will shape his life. He'll never know a world where race decides if you get to be president. He'll get to take it for granted. I wonder what other milestones he'll get to see. I wonder what other social changes he'll get to see. Hopefully, he'll inherit a better America because what happened today. <BR/><BR/>It was a wonderful moment. It was almost perfect. I will admit there was a small, evil, petty part of me that wishes that after the speech he actually had said "Fuck you, Cracker" as his predecessor walked out the door. That would have been awesome. Dubya should be happy Obama is a classy guy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-73085094677733010772009-01-20T14:14:00.001-06:002009-01-20T14:14:00.001-06:00"...evil Mr. Potter has been driven to Virginia......<I>"...evil Mr. Potter has been driven to Virginia...</I><BR/><BR/>Speaking of which, am I the only person who wondered what could possibly have been in those boxes that Mr. Cheney injured himself removing from his office?<BR/><BR/>Maybe I should start a contest....Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18275812152895151542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-1009645393795875312009-01-20T14:14:00.000-06:002009-01-20T14:14:00.000-06:00I third or fourth Nathan.It's not going to be easy...I third or fourth Nathan.<BR/><BR/>It's not going to be easy, but, as Rosie said, we can do it!Random Michelle Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817444379694818074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-49034437912054023462009-01-20T13:41:00.000-06:002009-01-20T13:41:00.000-06:00It is 2:28pm EST and the view from the Capitol tow...It is 2:28pm EST and the view from the Capitol towards the Washington Monument across the Mall -- and you can see the grass. It is not a tragedy, mind you, just a recognition that the Inauguration has come and gone, 43 is on Executive One towards Texas, evil Mr. Potter has been driven to Virginia, and that once again, that uniquely American institution of the peaceful transition of power by schedule has gone on flawlessly.<BR/><BR/>This was the first 19th century inauguration that I can recall in my lifetime, back when such political events were the parties and Super Bowls of their day. The paper yesterday pointed out that one of Lincoln's inaugurations led all others with 1.2 million in attendance. The most recent inaugurals? About a third of a million each.<BR/><BR/>Despite the cold, the weather was superb. And <A HREF="http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Obama_Inaugural_Address_012009.html?hpid=topnews" REL="nofollow">the speech</A>?<BR/><BR/><I>In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.<BR/><BR/>It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.<BR/><BR/>Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.<BR/><BR/>For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.<BR/><BR/>For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.<BR/><BR/>Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.<BR/><BR/>This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed.</I><BR/><BR/>Dr. PhilDr. Phil (Physics)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11943336276878704753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-80231228869120102732009-01-20T13:38:00.000-06:002009-01-20T13:38:00.000-06:00SP, Absolutely. And I agree. If it works, keep it...SP, <BR/><BR/>Absolutely. And I agree. If it works, keep it. If it doesn't work shitcan it immediately and recoup the money for things that actually do work - we can start with faith based abstinence only teenage birth control, one the most utterly useless stupidities to come down the pike in the last 8 years.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-54426635249605304322009-01-20T13:32:00.000-06:002009-01-20T13:32:00.000-06:00Jim,What Nathan said.And this:What the cynics fail...Jim,<BR/><BR/>What Nathan said.<BR/><BR/>And this:<BR/><I>What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. <B>The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.</B> Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.</I><BR/><BR/>SPServing Patriothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14984393452206039835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-36895355478397975602009-01-20T13:19:00.000-06:002009-01-20T13:19:00.000-06:00Well Jim, that certainlly fits with his "we're all...Well Jim, that certainlly fits with his "we're all in this together" message. <BR/>WendyB_09WendyB_09https://www.blogger.com/profile/03788918629240949526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-13355001501109373582009-01-20T13:10:00.000-06:002009-01-20T13:10:00.000-06:00I was particularly impressed that he mentioned non...I was particularly impressed that he mentioned non-believers alongside Christians, Muslims, and Jews. And he wasn't embarrassed to do so.<BR/><BR/>I believe that is a first.Jim Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.com